A Ryanair flight destined for sun-soaked Tenerife was dramatically forced to abandon its journey and return to Manchester Airport after passengers and crew were hit by an overpowering and mysterious foul smell.
The FR2948 service, which departed on Thursday, was just 45 minutes into its flight when the acrid odour began to permeate the cabin, causing widespread discomfort. The source of the stench remains unidentified, but its severity was enough for the captain to make the decision to turn the Boeing 737-800 around.
'It was absolutely awful,' one passenger recounted. 'The smell was so pungent and chemical-like, it gave people headaches and made you feel sick. You could see everyone looking around, trying to figure out where it was coming from. There was real concern.'
The plane landed safely back at Manchester Airport (MAN) where it was met by emergency services as a standard precaution. All passengers were subsequently disembarked while engineers and ground crews worked to identify and resolve the issue.
After a lengthy delay of approximately two hours, the aircraft was cleared for travel. Passengers re-boarded and the flight eventually continued on its journey to Tenerife South Airport (TFS), arriving significantly later than scheduled.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: 'This flight from Manchester to Tenerife (June 6) returned to Manchester Airport shortly after take-off due to a minor technical issue with the aircraft. The aircraft landed normally and customers disembarked while engineers completed a necessary inspection. We apologise to customers for this delayed flight.'
The incident is the latest in a series of travel disruptions affecting UK airports and highlights the unpredictability of air travel, leaving many to wonder about the true nature of the 'technical issue' that smelled so bad it forced a full plane to turn back.
